After working in a more professional setting I’ve realized of the importance of sourcing images and working with the organization’s logo. This is an ethic standard as a professional graphic designer. When creating visuals for social media or other communication materials, every image used has to be original, licensed, or commercial free since we as designers have the responsibility to respect intellectual property rights and support the integrity of the brand.
Using copyrighted assets could damage the organization’s reputation as well as violate legal and ethical obligations. If there is a usage of such we have to keep in mind that the owner of the work has the right to negotiate fees or royalties that we must adhere to.
Also, when using the organization’s logo we have to adhere to brand guidelines on placement, scaling, color usage, and spacing. This is to make sure we promote accuracy and consistency in representing the organization’s identity.
References
“A Client’s Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard Grefé, AIGA.
“Guide to Copyright” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard Grefé, AIGA.
